


Sowing Seeds of Change

by NamelesslyNightlock



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Confessions, Cuddling & Snuggling, Developing Relationship, Feels, First Meetings, Fluff, Fluffy Ending, Fuckbuddies, Getting Together, Happy Ending, Happy New Year!, Implied Sexual Content, Kissing, Loneliness, M/M, Mutual Pining, Nervous Tony Stark, New Year's Eve, New Year's Fluff, Pining, Pre-Iron Man 1, Pre-Thor (2011), Romantic Fluff, Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-31
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2021-02-25 07:08:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,257
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22051894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NamelesslyNightlock/pseuds/NamelesslyNightlock
Summary: Tony really doesn’t want to ring in the New Year alone, and… hopefully, he won’t have to. He just needs to pluck up some courage– and pick up the phone.
Relationships: Loki/Tony Stark
Comments: 35
Kudos: 298





	Sowing Seeds of Change

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Rabentochter](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rabentochter/gifts), [STARSdidathing](https://archiveofourown.org/users/STARSdidathing/gifts).



> This one is for Stars (who also came up with the plot) and for Sesil. Thank you for making this year much much brighter than it otherwise would have been ❤︎

The phone felt heavy in Tony’s hand as he stared down at the screen, his thumb hovering over the call button, his gaze lingering on the photograph assigned to the contact.

It was one of Tony’s favourite pictures– though it was also one that he _never_ would have shown to another living soul. Strangely enough on both of those counts, Tony was well in the frame, wearing a frown as he spoke to DUM-E’s downcast claw. But, what held Tony’s focus the most was the soft smile on _Loki’s_ lips as he watched Tony reprimand the bot, his whole expression tender and fond. It was an expression that Tony had never actually _seen_ on Loki’s face, other than a quick flicker as Loki turned to look away– but JARVIS had managed to catch it on camera.

It was the kind of expression that had Tony _hoping,_ had him almost believing that Loki felt the same way. The kind of expression that… had him thinking that making this phone call was a good idea in the first place.

Tony had only known Loki for less than a month, but… truth be told, it had shaped up to be the best month of his life, no question.

They’d met in a dark club, the coloured lights throwing everyone’s face in the kind of shadow that could give you an impression of what they looked like, but would have made it impossible to recognise anyone.

It was the perfect place for someone like Tony to try and blow off some steam. December, after all, was the time for parties– both classy and not so, and always the kind of experience that left Tony with a raging headache and a wish to just escape from the world and all of its occupants with some kind of level of permanency.

But, unfortunately, turning into a hermit was not on his list of possible lifestyle choices– so in an effort to feel something other than the crippling emptiness that always seemed more profound the moment the Christmas decorations began to go up around the city, Tony had decided to try and lose himself in the flesh of a willing body.

Tony wasn’t sure why Loki had been there, though perhaps the other man had simply been bored—

But at the time, Loki’s reasons hadn’t mattered.

They met on the dance floor, their bodies pressing together and hands wandering first over and then under expensive clothes. Loki was gorgeous, willing, and apparently more than capable of keeping up when it came to the alcohol– not to mention when it came to the sex. Even drunk, it was one of the best nights Tony’d ever had, and when he woke up the next morning…

Well.

Okay, so, normally, when Tony had a one night stand, the morning would find him rolling out from under the sheets and hurrying down to his workshop, leaving JARVIS and Pepper to get rid of whatever girl or guy had ended up in his bed.

But… that morning…

Well, he’d woken up tangled in a mess of limbs, and immediately began the slow, gentle, well-practiced process of extricating himself. He wasn’t normally a cuddler, and he normally woke from uncomfortable warmth whenever any of his lovers tried, but this had happened enough times that he was well experienced in any situation anyone could care to name.

But… when he looked up and caught sight of Loki’s sleeping face, his movements slowed to something sluggish, and then stopped altogether as he caught himself staring. His gaze followed the lines of those sharp cheekbones, over his pale skin, down the straight nose and then came to rest on the thin lips that – when Tony unconsciously reached out to brush his fingers over them – twitched up into a small smile.

And perhaps, given a couple of extra minutes, Tony _would_ have left. After all, gorgeous or not, Loki had just been a warm body to keep away the crushing loneliness for just a little while. But, by the time Tony’s gaze flicked back up away from Loki’s smile, bright green eyes were open and staring back at him with a mixture of curiosity and heat—

And from there, well. It can’t be difficult to guess what happened next, surely.

Tony wasn’t a cuddler. He wasn’t the kind of person who stayed to wake up together, he definitely didn’t do morning sex, and he _certainly_ didn’t do breakfast.

And yet, when Pepper had walked into the kitchen that morning…

Well, suffice to say that she had been surprised, and – funnily enough – it actually hadn’t been all that difficult to convince her that Loki didn’t need throwing out the way that she had become accustomed to.

(To be honest, Tony just thought that she was glad to have a morning off.)

Of course, the whole discussion wasn’t the most _comfortable_ thing to have in front of Loki, given the circumstances– but Loki had only seemed… interested.

Interest that had carried over to that night, when Tony had brought Loki with him to one of the many goddamned Christmas galas he needed to attend– and Loki’s company had, somehow, managed to make it actually enjoyable. It turned out that Loki, impossibly, seemed even _better_ company when Tony was sober and they weren’t just fucking– because not only was he good looking, he was also witty and clever and, well. How many people could keep up with _Tony Stark_ in a conversation without one or both of them growing frustrated and bored?

Tony _loved it_.

He wanted more of it.

And of course, what Tony Stark wants, Tony Stark gets– so he invited Loki to every single one of the remaining Christmas parties in the lead up to the day itself.

And you know what?

They had a fucking _blast._

They stayed by each other’s side at every party, talking and dancing, bonding through joking about the other attendees and playing tricks that they were _somehow_ never blamed for. Fingers entwined, arms wrapped around waists and shoulders, lips touched even where others could see. Loki’s presence at the galas and dinners came to be expected, and it was not long before the press and the fucking tabloids caught on.

Tony was worried the first time an article and a photo appeared – more worried than he should have been, by the thought of Loki wanting to leave – but… Loki didn’t even seem to _care._ His lip had curled at the first sight of one of the magazines, and he had made something of a disparaging comment about. _Humans_. (And yeah the way Loki said that was a little weird, but eh, in Tony’s opinion a little _weird_ made things more interesting.) But Loki didn’t care about the fame he was getting, or even really about who Tony was at all– they were just having fun, and Tony…

Well, he had started to develop something of an attachment.

It happened a lot faster than he ever could have anticipated, and yet, at the same time, it didn’t _feel_ like it was fast. It felt like… like he and Loki just _clicked_ , like they understood each other at a level no one else could reach.

And now, just over three weeks later… well, here he was, right? Staring at Loki’s contact picture in his phone, wanting nothing more than to invite Loki over to the house for New Years and yet…

Well… what if Loki said _no?_

Tony swallowed, trying to clear out the unwelcome lump that had formed in his throat.

Goddamnit. He was Tony Stark, for fucks sake. He didn’t _get_ like this, he didn’t get nervous over inviting people to a party—

Except… it wasn’t really a party, was it?

And, he didn’t know if he would be able to keep his head held high if Loki didn’t want to spend the holiday with him. That just might crack something important, something deep inside.

Especially… after what had happened at Christmas.

The parties, you see, had been all well and good. But Christmas Day itself was something else, wasn’t it? And Tony knew that Loki had a family– he always got this irritated-fond look in his eyes whenever he talked about his brother which let Tony know that, even if there did seem to be a little strain there, Loki really did love him– and he spoke about his mother with such tenderness that he almost seemed to be a different person to the one that Tony had met in that club. (Though of course, Tony quickly came to realise that beneath the hard, sarcastic exterior, Loki was actually a very caring person. Almost too caring for his own good, to be honest.)

So, of course Tony had known that Loki wouldn’t want to be spending Christmas with the likes of _him_. He had a family to go to.

Tony hadn’t been able to help mentioning it, though, in an offhand comment on Christmas Eve– some throwaway line about how Loki would no doubt enjoy the following day with his brother.

He knew it was wrong of him, but that darker part of his mind hoped that Loki would say that he wouldn’t enjoy it, actually, and that he would rather spend the day with Tony.

But… he didn’t. He considered Tony for a moment, almost looking confused until his eyes cleared with understanding. And—

“Of course,” Loki said. “Your Christmas… is a time for _family._ ” Then he had hesitated, as if there were words on the tip of his tongue that he was unsure about saying. Tony had been just about to ask, curious to know, when– “Would you… wish to see me again, after?”

Now usually, Tony might have covered his own relieved reaction by uttering some kind of flirtatious comment about how very _much_ he wanted to see Loki again, preferably in his bed and preferably without any clothes– but the hesitation in Loki’s tone gave him pause. Because…

It was pretty clear that in the beginning, the arrangement between them had been for a bit of fun, letting off steam and feeling _good._ But… somehow, at some point, something had shifted. And perhaps not for Loki, but…

For god’s sake, Tony woke up pressed close to Loki’s body, snuggling into his chest, _cuddling_ into his hold– and he _loved_ it. If that wasn’t a goddamn indication—

Of course, his traitorous thoughts were more than capable of convincing him that it wasn’t the same for Loki.

But.

Tony shifted his thumb away from the call button to trace it over the image of Loki instead, taking in that fond smile, that tender look.

And then, not giving himself another moment, he stabbed at the screen and made the call.

Because, yes, it was nerve-wracking as hell, but. Tony had spent Christmas alone, save for JARVIS and the bots. He’d spent it in the workshop, trying to lose himself in his work, trying to distract himself from the ache inside, from the fact that he wished he could share that day with Loki. And, despite their agreement, he hadn’t seen Loki since, hadn’t heard from him in a week. 

He might have been willing to be the bigger man and admit that Christmas was a time for family, but… the New Year was for something else.

The call connected incredibly quickly, as if Loki had scrambled for the phone the moment it had begun to ring. And he must have known who was calling, because – oddly – Loki hadn’t even _had_ a phone until Tony had given him one a couple of weeks back so that they could contact each other more easily.

“Anthony?” Loki asked as he answered, his voice almost breathless, and– Tony was sure he wasn’t imagining the way that it was laden with relief. “You _called.”_

“I, yeah,” Tony said, feeling a little breathless himself. Maybe… he should have called sooner. “Hey, listen. I uh, suppose you’ve already got plans for tonight, it being pretty late already. But I just, I was wondering if…” Tony trailed off, feeling a little weak. _Fuck._

_Get a grip, Tony._

“Are you well?” Loki asked. “Anthony, is something wrong?”

“No,” Tony said quickly, hearing the worry. And god, but– if that wasn’t touching. “Nah, everything’s… pretty good. But, if you don’t have plans tonight, I was wondering if you wanted to come over and hang out with me?”

There was half a heart-beat’s silence, and then—

“I’ll be there in a few minutes,” Loki replied– and then without any further ado, the call came to a rather abrupt end.

Tony blinked, and glanced back to his phone screen. It was showing Loki’s contact again, Loki’s warm smile back on display– and Tony’s lips curved into a smile of his own.

Loki would be back with him in only a few minutes.

Oh.

 _Wait_.

Tony glanced down to the oily, dirty workshop clothes he was still wearing.

…fuck.

—🎇—

After the fastest shower of Tony’s _life_ , he was dressed in comfortable jeans and a green sweater, and he raced down the stairs to arrive at the door _right_ when the bell rang.

Tony pulled the front door open with all the enthusiasm of a starving man—

And then his eyes widened.

He would _never_ get over seeing Loki in a close-fitting suit. They just looked so damn good on him, hugging the sharp lines of his waist and– well, Tony’s gaze had a habit of lingering on Loki’s ass. And ha, Tony was pretty sure his eyes must have been about as round as saucers as he stared– and although he was sure as hell seeing it, he didn’t even really _process_ what Loki was wearing.

Loki seemed to, though. He had smiled the moment he saw Tony, his whole face seeming to soften with happiness– but then he’d noticed Tony’s clothes.

And, you know. After a weeks’ separation following a solid fortnight of being inseparable and fucking several times a day, Tony was expecting at least maybe a _hello_.

Perhaps he should have known better, though.

“I appear to be overdressed,” Loki said instead, his tone rather wry– and Tony couldn’t help a chuckle at that, because that was just so _Loki._

“Nah,” Tony said. “You look perfect, as always.”

Loki rolled his eyes again, but Tony knew he wasn’t imagining the faint pink stain that appeared on Loki’s cheeks as he did so.

Well, well. _That_ was new.

Tony didn’t have the time to be dwelling on it, however, as not a moment later Loki pulled his arms from the sleeves of his jacket and handed the garment to Tony. Tony held it numbly, _staring_ again as Loki began to roll up the sleeves of his white shirt to his elbows. The jacket had been hiding a black and emerald waistcoat, and… uh. Tony couldn’t decide what he’d like more, to stare at Loki in this outfit forever or to slowly tear it from him, and _damn_ but didn’t that say something?

When Loki was done and had slung his returned jacket over his shoulder, he arched his brows at Tony, and Tony did his best to shake himself from his daze before leading the way inside.

As they walked through the quiet, empty house, the silence… seemed to become louder. Tony didn’t know what it was– he’d never felt so – well, it wasn’t awkwardness, it was… – _nervous_ around Loki before.

And when he turned back to look at Loki, his heart seemed to stutter as he realised that Loki was frowning.

Worried that Loki was second guessing his decision to come, Tony felt a spark of worry, an almost twisty feeling in his gut—

But, then.

“Are we going somewhere else?” Loki asked. “There is no one here.”

And… _oh._ Of course. He and Loki… well, yeah, they _had_ hung out in Tony’s house before, but only really in the afternoons after their morning routine and before they went off for another full night. The suit suddenly made a lot of sense– Loki thought that they were headed out to another gala.

Tony swallowed again, and tried to wet his lips.

“No,” Tony replied. “I… I was hoping that… we could just say here to ring in the New Year. Just the two of us. Together.”

Loki seemed to hesitate. _Again._

And maybe– maybe Tony had read everything wrong.

Tony’s hands were trembling, and he shoved them in the pockets of his jeans, turning down his head and preparing to back away—

But then Loki reached out, a hand curling around Tony’s wrist. He stepped a little closer, tilting his head down. And, _oh_ , but it seemed like Loki was about to—

Their lips pressed together softly, sweetly, tenderly. It shouldn’t have made Tony’s breath catch the way that it did– it shouldn’t have made his heart race, shouldn’t have made him gasp and press in closer, desperate for more. Because this wasn’t their first kiss, _far_ from it– but it _was_ their first that was this soft, their first that was a kiss for the sake of being a kiss rather than as a precursor for sex, or a teasing, arousing embrace where others could see.

This kiss was just for _them_ , and it was just so that they could express the affection that was growing between them, the _emotion_ that neither of them wished to deny any longer.

And when the kiss came to an end, when they were both standing close with their foreheads pressed together and indelible smiles gracing their lips, Tony didn’t think he could pinpoint a moment in his life when he had felt more alive.

“Does this mean that you’re going to stay with me tonight?” Tony asked.

“I think it means that I desire to stay a lot longer than that,” Loki replied– and he leaned down to kiss Tony again, short and sweet and chaste and _perfect._

And Tony couldn’t help but think that hey, this new year was surely to be better than the one that was just coming to a close, if he was starting it off in Loki’s arms. It would be _different_ , yes, but. If there was one thing Tony knew for sure, it was that this kind of change was going to sow a rather beautiful seed to bloom in the year to come.

“There is one thing that I should tell you, however,” Loki said– and his casual tone gave away _his_ nervousness almost as much as the way his fingers tightened in Tony’s shirt. “Something you should know, before you decide to be with me… more officially.”

“Lokes,” Tony said, his mouth a sloppy grin, his voice bright and lilting with overwhelming delight. “There is literally nothing you could say to me right now that’s going to change my mind—”

“Oh, that is good to hear,” Loki said– and he was smirking, now. “Then you won’t mind that I am not human, and that I was born on another planet?”

Tony blinked– and then his smile fell away to be replaced by a flabbergasted look of complete and utter _shock._

“I’m sorry,” Tony spluttered. “You were _what?”_

Loki chuckled, and Tony– well, he was gone on Loki already, wasn’t he? Despite the fact that he hadn’t anticipated _this_ , he’d meant what he said.

It would seem that the New Year was bringing in a _lot_ of changes, but… if it meant that Tony got to be with Loki?

Then it sure as hell was going to be worth it.

**Author's Note:**

> Happy New Year, everyone!! 🎉


End file.
